Whistlers rule!
One year ago I started with my first whistling class for beginners extending over 6 evenings (enough to give newbies a start on breathing, tonguing, fingering and the basic ornaments). The first two series went down very well with 9 pupils respectively (mind you, there is no Irish music scene at all where I live). I was sceptical if I would find pupils for a third class this fall. But what can I say, there’s 7 new pupils wanting to learn about this beautiful little instrument. Isn’ t that grand, folks? Maybe one day we can outnumber the r**er players around here in Southern Germany? I really wonder if there’s even more potential out there. I find it just amazing and very encouraging!
Just wanted to share this with you.
Happy whistling
Sehr kühl! 
Herzlichen Glückwunsch.
Where are you in Southern Germany? I remember that in larger cities at least there was quite a bit of Irish music scene. Do you use a book with them?
Hi Bloom,
I teach (hmm…that sounds good) in Pforzheim, which is right at the autobahn between the bigger cities of Karlsruhe and Stuttgart. There are some players in the Stuttgart area as well as there are in Karlsruhe but I have yet to find a session whereI really feel at home (well, the choices are few…)
As for the lessons, I try to do “show and imitate” as much as I can. I usually deal handouts with fingerings, background information, technique and tunes (in staff notation) for homework. I have to do this, due to the limited time, so people, who usually can read music, have something to practise with. I made up the handouts on my own and I am working on a little CD to demonstrate scales, tunes etc. This usually works quite well. There is only one whistle tutor in German, which I do not know, but distrust for some reasons (TWZ, you know…) but heartily recommend C&F to the wired ones in the class…
… und was hat das jetzt mit dem Mond zu tun?
Er wollte nicht schreiben: “Mit vor Stolz geschwellter Brust…”
Christian, I’ve heard of that German tutor, only one around, yep. Have you tried making your students record the lessons on tape?
Good luck!
Well done, Christian.
The next stage is to encourage some of your pupils to go to some of the summer schools in Ireland and get seriously bitten, and before you know it you’ll have created the local music scene that you’re lacking.
We never had anything like the kind of numbers of learners you’re talking about here in Eurohauptstadt Brüssel. There’s a very high attrition rate, especially among sentimental but lazy Irish expats, but a few people (by no means all of an Irish persuasion) have stayed the course and even branched out into other instruments, and it’s a pleasure to play with them. We have a workshop three weeks a month, and a pub session the other week.
Bloom,
yes, I have thought of making them record the sessions. Let’s see, if everyone has a tape recorder or MD at hand, this would be quite effective.
Claudine,
so viel ich mich erinnere, heißt “over the moon” so viel wie “auf Wolke 7”.
Roger,
well, I have to admit that I did not manage to make all of my pupils ITM addicts, but at least I got some of them attending the concerts at my local folk club. That, for me, counts as a success, too.
Wolke 7? Is that all you get over there? Over on this side of the pond, we get all the way to Cloud 9!
Steven
Hey, look, 300 posts! Whee!
That only proves that the Germans are more realistic than the US.
What about all those boastful Americans that go to 11?
BTW, supralunarity is a widespread condition among semi-articulate British footballers. Its antithesis is psittacopathy. Am I starting to sound like a pedantically pretentious version of Zoobaroo?
OK, first of all, that’s amplifiers, not clouds. And second, that line is from a movie about a British rock band. OK, sure, not a real one, but British nonetheless!
Steven
I thought we had a cow on the board…
No, that’s just Chattie Kathy’s sig file, but she hasn’t been on this thread.
Moo!
Steven
Schnell, schnell;
1-4 dezember bin ich in München (cutting my crappy German here).
- Any pubs to visit to hear Irish music?
Cheers,
Eivind (kartoffelkopf).